'Jeopardy!' ruling under fire

Nanci G. Hutson

Updated 11:59 am, Sunday, August 4, 2013

Thomas Hurley III, poses for a photo outside his home in Newtown, Conn. on Friday, August 2, 2013. The 12-year-old recently appeared on Jeopardy, spelling "Emancipation Proclamation" incorrectly, adding an extra "T," during Final Jeopardy. The judges disqualified Hurley's answer, despite show host Alex Trebek reading it correctly, costing him $3,000.

NEWTOWN -- Newtown eighth-grader Thomas Hurley III was thrilled to be chosen as a contestant on the Kids Week episode of the television game show "Jeopardy!" that was filmed in February and aired this week.

He was up against a tough competitor right to the Final Jeopardy stage, with $9,600 in winnings against his closest rival, who had won $36,600 going into the last round.

As the final buzzer sounded, the 12-year-old penned his answer for the "Famous Documents'' question about the 1863 document Abraham Lincoln said was a "fit and necessary war measure.''

The correct answer: Emancipation Proclamation.

The studio and viewing audience saw that, despite the scrawl of an extra "t'' in Emancipation, the 12-year-old had the correct answer.

Even game show host Alex Trebek read it correctly at first, but then swiftly disqualified the boy's answer, saying he so "badly misspelled" the word it would cost him the $3,000 bet he placed on the answer.

Hurley lowered his head in defeat upon Trebek's pronouncement. Trebek then praised winner Skyler Hornback for his answer, which he noted was spelled correctly.

Trebek's response to the Hurley answer struck his family and fans as so unfair that the Jeopardy! Facebook page has been flooded with more than 400 comments protesting Trebek's decision.

"It's generated a little bit of controversy," Hurley's mother, Suzanne, admitted. "He was a little stunned by it. He felt embarrassed. It was hard to watch.''

No one is more disappointed than Thomas Hurley.

"I was pretty upset that I was cheated out of the final `Jeopardy!' question. It was just a spelling error,'' said the Newtown Middle School student, who won $2,000 as the second runner-up.

Until now a fan and regular watcher of the quiz show, Thomas said this episode cost "Jeopardy!" a fan. It likely has cost the show some adult fans, too.

Susan Jackson, of Wingdale, N.Y., was so outraged that she posted a comment on the Jeopardy! Facebook page and notified area newspapers.

"Alex didn't need to insult this kid's spelling, and many people feel that Thomas is owed an apology,'' Jackson said.

"It didn't change the nature of the answer, as it would in say `dessert vs. desert' since we all knew what the kid was trying to say," she said. " `Jeopardy!' has never really discounted answers because of adults' misspellings."

Thomas is still proud he was selected for the show, got to travel to California and did as well as he did. He will be putting his winnings in a college savings account.

He said he especially appreciates the support his friends and family have shown him, and he is somewhat comforted by the public protest of the show's ruling.

"They're proud of me,'' Thomas said.

Of course, that doesn't change the results. But he said it is good to know he is not alone in his belief about his answer.

"It's just upsetting to have lost that way. I don't know why it would have counted as the wrong answer."